


away and erasing

by 1sleepydormouse (AlderBee), AlderBee



Series: saturnine [5]
Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cancer, F/M, angst with hopeful ending, they both need hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 12:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16854184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlderBee/pseuds/1sleepydormouse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlderBee/pseuds/AlderBee
Summary: Lately, Betty was constantly checking local and statewide events that took them out of their comfort zone. Anytime there was a weird competition or fair or challenge, Betty immediately sent the information to Jughead, asking him if he was free that weekend and wanted to, quote, “do something wild.”





	away and erasing

**Author's Note:**

> I realize that the tags of this fic takes away the “mystery” of the relatively light-hearted beginning of this little one-shot, but blah. Going to keep going. Just pretend to be sad and surprised at the end <3

“This has to be the dumbest thing in the world you’ve _ever_ asked me to do.”

 

“Now, you and I both know that is the opposite of a fact, Juggie.” Betty grinned at him as the straps were tightened around her thighs and midsection. “Remember when we took part in that burrito eating contest last week? Had to eat a twelve pound burrito _and_ a gallon milkshake to get a free meal and that super cute taco plushie.”

 

“Babe, it’s like you don’t know me. I _love to eat_.”

 

“Love of my life,” she responded with a grin, stepping towards Jughead once her harness was sufficiently secured in place. “You had two breakfast burgers, a southwestern omelette, half of my crepes, three buttermilk pancakes, and an entire carafe of coffee. You were positively green in the face when you were half way through that monster burrito.”

 

“It was a battle I chose,” Jughead reached up to adjust the beanie wrapped snug around Betty’s head, protecting her ears from the wind and cold. “The taco was totally worth it.”

 

This particular taco was currently nestled comfortably in the passenger seat of Jughead’s beat-up sedan. Completely content to the center of it’s plushy center to be safely ensconced in a safe, warm environment.

 

The things Jughead did for this woman.

 

“Best taco ever,” Betty pressed a warm cluster of kisses under Jughead’s chin, glowing with satisfaction.

 

“All right! We are ready for the next two!” A woman dressed in a bright red windbreaker waved them over, holding tightly onto the zip-line ropes.

 

Betty grasped his hands without a second thought, taking the both of them over to be safely attached to the tandem zip-line contraption.

 

Lately, Betty was constantly checking local and statewide events that took them out of their comfort zone. Anytime there was a weird competition or fair or challenge, Betty immediately sent the information to Jughead, asking him if he was free that weekend and wanted to, quote, “do something wild.”

 

To be honest, some of the weird things Betty dragged him to were oddly fun.

 

The burrito contest was pretty fun (held in a hole-in-a-wall Mexican restaurant a few miles out of town).

 

Two weeks before, they participated in a wife-carrying contest, where Jughead had to carry his girlfriend (“Wife, babe. Remember, I’m your wife this weekend.”) bridal-style through a 1.5 mile long obstacle course. They were in third place and won single all expenses paid weekend at the local hot springs.

 

(Which was an adventure in itself because it was deep into fall - practically knocking at winter’s door - and they had a snowball fight while submerged in the outdoor springs. While the rules were pretty strict, once everyone else went in for dinner, Betty had cornered Jughead in a hidden enclave, kissing his hunger away while she slid her hands into the slick material of his swimming trunks. He couldn’t even be mad about almost missing the meal.)

 

Then there was the ever interesting Roadkill Festival (Jughead only tried a _few_ things), the Testicle Festival (Betty didn’t stop laughing the entire time), a Hollerin’ Contest, a Duck Tape Festival, Lawn Mower Racing, and an Extreme Ironing contest.

 

They didn’t always participate, sometimes it was enough to watch and cheer on the underdogs.

 

Most of the events took place on the weekends, but if there was a weekday event that perked Betty’s interest (and Jughead had to be honest, it usually interested him as well), Jughead had no qualms with skipping a handful of afternoon classes to check them out.

 

Considering their situation (Betty’s news, the sudden increase of sick days, and annoyingly sympathetic faculty members), no one was interested in bringing them in for a talk about school policies or expectations.

 

It felt liberating, sometimes, walking out of the school’s doors in broad daylight, not giving a second thought to who saw them leave.

 

Most of the time, it just felt sad.

 

Jughead wondered how much longer they could live in denial.

 

Act like they were living the highest point in their lives . . . like it would never end.

 

They didn’t talk about it.

 

While the zip-line employee safely attached them (to what was essentially a death trap, but he was holding his tongue), Jughead kept his gloved hands snug around Betty’s waist. She was standing with her back to him, leaning back into his solid form, looking out at the nature surrounding them.

 

It had taken the shuttle about an hour to drive up the unpaved - and sometimes unmarked - roads to the top of the small mountain. A wide expanse of tree tops, ranging in a colorful rainbow of greens, reds, oranges, and yellows spread out below them, stretching to the base of more mountains far in the distance. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, perfectly blue and cool above them. The wind was stronger up here, pushing their bodies into each other as it’s direction shifted along the mountain’s surface.

 

If they weren’t surrounded by a handful of employees and like-minded thrill seekers, Jughead would feel like they were the only two people in the world. It should have felt lonely, vast and gaping, to think of a world with no other living people besides the two of them.

 

But in this moment, Jughead could think of no other paradise.

 

A whole empty world, knowing that Betty would always be smiling up at him, her laughter only for his ears. They could be selfish in their need for each other. Shameless in their affection.

 

Sights like this one right now, would be only for them.

 

Two helmets were handed to them, which they promptly strapped on. “You ready, Juggie?”

 

The woman who hooked them up to the tether, gave the contraption one more solid yank before throwing them both a thumbs up. “Ready when you both are. When you feel comfortable just jump on out. The line will take care of the rest.”

 

“Thank you,” Betty beamed, taking a step forward. Her hold on Jughead’s arms (which were comfortably wrapped around her from behind), and the solid tether between them forced him to follow.

 

Jughead felt oddly unafraid, his heartbeat steady. Still, he felt prompted to say, “Betty, you are insane.”

 

“Insane about you, love.” Her helmet bumped his chest as she leaned up to awkwardly drop a kiss under his chin. She looked so alive next to him, clearly excited and bubbly happy to be sharing this experience with him. “Ready?”

 

For more insane trips? For hours on the road while Betty slept in the passenger seat with that stupid taco plushie? For days in the hospital while she had her treatments? For sleepless nights while she got sick in the bathroom, trembling, sweating and sour with illness? For the quiet hours when she would be too tired to open her eyes while Jughead sat by her bedside holding her hand?

 

For everything. All of that.

 

For this.

 

Jughead was ready.

 

“Ready.”

 

“Ok!” Betty cheered, looking back out over the cliff’s edge. “On the count of three! One! Two!”

 

Arms tight around Betty, Jughead moved them forward before she could reach three. Instead of screaming, the blond hooted with laughter, gravity taking over as they dropped down about a foot before the tether held, sliding them in a smooth, graceful arch through the air.

 

Jughead’s blood rushed through his body, unable to stop the laughter from escaping his lips, bringing one arm up to throw a fist into sky. Betty’s legs swung in joy below them as they rushed passed the tree tops, the smell of pine and nature rushing up to surround them as they flew by.

 

“We’re flying!!” Betty cheered, arms heavy and warm around Jughead’s. He couldn’t see her face, but he could imagine the wide smile, right at home on her face.

 

So alive and healthy.

 

Their speed remained consistent, smooth and graceful as they zipped further away from the cliff behind them.

 

Irrationally, Jughead wanted them to fly forever. Never stopping and leaving everything behind them.

 

The memories of dread and confusion when Betty broke the news to him strong. He remembered how calm she looked, arms folded tight around her as she told him about her latest doctor’s appointment. The smile on her face was brittle as she tried to stay positive. It was a tumor. Malignant. Near her brain stem. It explained her insane personality, Betty had tried to joke, wilting under the stone-cold blankness of Jughead’s face. The doctors wanted to hammer the tumor with radiation before considering surgery. It was going to last a while. It was going to take her health. Take her energy and time. And Betty had offered him a smile, so fake but there, ill suited to her face. She wanted to give Jughead an out. He didn’t sign up to date a sick girl. She didn’t want to put too much on him. They were going to graduate soon, and there was so much more for him to focus on.

 

They didn’t both need to suffer through this.

 

Jughead wanted to forget the cold, stinging anger that formed in his chest, spreading through him like the cancer that ate at Betty’s brain stem. So fucking pissed that Betty thought that he would be petty enough, shallow enough to take that option. How _fucking dare_ she underestimate how much he loved her. How much he needed her in his life to even fucking breathe . . . to get through every goddamned minute of high school in Riverdale.

 

Did she even know who it was she was dating? Did she know him at all?

 

Just as quickly, the anger fizzled into a dull understanding.

 

Because of course she knew Jughead. She knew him more than anyone else in his life.

 

And he knew Betty. His beautiful, kind, and stupidly selfless soul mate.

 

After a breath, he knew what it all meant to hide.

 

So he told her she was an idiot, let her cry with relief into his shirt, and made her promise to let him come to all future doctors appointments.

 

They have done about a full month of this.

 

And he wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Never.

 

Their momentum began to slow, the end of the zip-line coming to view. The tree tops stretched up to meet them, quickly reaching them before speeding past and towering over their heads. The ground was coming quickly, and Jughead prepared himself for the jarring landing back on earth.

 

He brought both arms down and scooped Betty up higher against him. Without argument, she lifted her legs a little, trusting him to take her weight, and giving him the permission he needed to handle the end of their journey.

 

Jughead pressed a lasting kiss against her neck, their helmets clacking together in a way that made Betty giggle.

 

They would get through this.

 

Betty was strong. And when she couldn’t be, Jughead would be strong for the both of them.

 

In a few months, this would be behind them. Betty will be just as beautiful as she always was to him.

 

They will make it through and start the next part of their lives.

 

Together.

 

Jughead never felt more sure about anything else in his life.

 

Feeling stronger than ever, he watched the landing platform come closer. He felt Betty’s warmth, her grip on him, every cleansing breath she took.

 

Taking both of their weights, he brought them back to earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Whump Prompt: Cancer. Title of the fic was pulled from 2BIC’s “Heart.” I don’t think I’ll ever NOT associate these two with a song when I write! XP


End file.
